“It’s not that I was reluctant,” he said. “For me, it’s a big process to decide whether or not to do a role…. I have to want to wake up in the morning and feel like I can’t wait to get to work. I’ve got to feel OK about leaving my kids for 12 or 13 hours a day for five months. It’s a big commitment.”

Maguire added that he needed to feel there was a fresh story about Spider-Man worth telling.

“Hopefully I’ll be able to evolve the character in a new direction. He’ll still be Peter Parker, but I hope I can move him forward a bit and take him to a place where there will be new challenges for me as an actor.”

Spider-Man 4 is scheduled for a May 5, 2011 release in conventional and IMAX theaters.